Letter shows State saw Bridget McCole not as the victim but as the enemy

From the start of his involvement with the aftermath of the hepatitis C debacle, Michael Noonan seemed determined to hold the departmental line. This meant, firstly, insisting that the expert group report published in February 1995 was the last word on the scandal.

Secondly, it involved an insistence that the victims should be compensated through the tribunal established for that purpose rather than through the courts. The tribunal made awards without admission of liability, whereas the courts would seek to establish, in essence, who was to blame.

On Thursday 25 June 2009, the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade tabled its report on the inquiry into RAAF F-111 Deseal/Reseal workers and their families entitled Sealing a just outcome: Report from the Inquiry into RAAF F-111 Deseal/Reseal workers and their families.

The State is facing at least six separate legal actions from former members of the Air Corps who allege they have suffered serious illnesses as a result of “chronic exposure” to the chemicals they came in contact with as a part of their daily duties.

The Air Corps was told three months ago it needs to monitor its workers’ exposure to harmful substances, observe their health for early detection, and give them the equipment to protect themselves against chemical exposure.

One plaintiff’s summons list contains 26 examples where they claim negligence, including that he was regularly required to use Trichloroethylene without any training as to how to use it, or the proper protective measures required to use it. Medical advice has attributed mental and physical health problems to exposure to such chemicals, writes Joe Leogue.